"Why should articles attacking “yellow peril mongering” be so controversial. When they are veiled attempts to sabotage critics of environmental pollution, global warming and aggressive foreign policy at home."

Why my life in China was substantially better than my life in Sweden.

Here's an interesting item on Walkley Magazine with an interesting slant on how a future world will feel when China sits on top. Thanks to the Joyceland blog for bringing attention to it.

Some thoughts of mine on "angry expats", why they exist and why it's sometimes difficult to get past being overly critical about everything in China when you live here. If you are or was an expat (angry or not), would love to read your thoughts in the comments.

I discovered the police registration requirement for newborns by accident when we went to apply for Z's visa. Mrs. Imagethief and I had waited a while to do this because we hadn't applied for the passports right away. We were, as you might expect, a bit overwhelmed by the presence of a newborn and didn't have any immediate plans to travel.

“Free Tibet” has become the cry of the backward and the reactionary. Across the West, it has been turned into the pet cause of poor little rich girls (and boys) who feel disillusioned with modernity and the evil forces of progress. "Free Tibet" activists expend much of their energy campaigning against anything that smells modern—especially Chinese jobs, industry, and infrastructure.

Beijing's recently announced that they'll allow protests that don't harm national, social and collective interests. I've just got one question - what's that leave to protest about? If history is anything to learn from, protesters should be wary as what is allowed now could land you in a cold dark place come the closing ceremonies.

Yellow algae emerged in XiangJiang River in central China and affected water supply in at least two cities. Usually, the filtering ponds were washed every 24 to 36 hours. At present, they had to be washed each 2 hours in the most serious situation, said Yuan Cheng, ZhongHuan Water deputy general manger.

99 out of 100 women have enough milk, less than 1% of mothers have problems, but it's so rare. We're mammals. All mammals feed their babies with their own milk. There are more than 400 nutrients in breast milk that no milk powder can imitate. But no melamine. But there are pediatricians and health care professionals who say outrageous things in the media in support of baby feeding formula.

Marina Hyde from the Guardian reckons London 2012 will be a relief from the humourless Beijing Olympics.